[ss134]

Hi Everyone,
Ordered my new E90 335i(sapphire black) a few days ago with Black leather/arctic silver trim. It was a choice between that and Oyster/piano black and the black won for practicality (ive got kids)
The problem is that deep down i think i prefered the Oyster.
Anyone who has Oyster/any light leather please give me your opinions on
living with it based on your experience.(i can still change!!)
Im not looking for advice on which interior is best - just the wisdom of
people who have the colour. Im planning to keep the car for a few
years.

1.How hard is it to keep clean.
2.Would you get it again.
3.Do you have kids
etc etc!!!!

Thanks in advance for your help guys-any opinions/advice/photos would be
greatly appreciated.

[ragingclue]

You have kids. Black is good. How much would you love your Oyster interior two years down the road when it looks like someone let five pigeons loose in there who had just ingested Alka-Seltzer?

[smv]

It is a great interior and have it on my E90LCI 335i with Tasman green exterior. I was not sure about the car to begin with, I had a budget and was scaling down form an X5 4.8 to a 3 series when I was looking around. I saw 2 in a dealer: One blue water with black interior and then Tasman green with Oyster/piano black. The difference was immense. It made it look like a step more expensive as a car, something like a GT Maseratti quatroporte level. I bought the car on the spot, that same car on the showroom and everyday I step in I feel I am in a different class of car. It does not get dirty more than normal colors. ( I always had bmw beige interiors and was cleaning them every 3 months with that special cream of BMW). I have the car for 6 months now and it is still very clean. I'll do this in the next 2 weeks.... I do have a kid 10 yrs but BMw was clever enough to make the back of the seats and the rest of the upholstery black so that they don't get that dirty after all ( by far less than the unified sand beige or grey interiors)... I would certainly buy it again and i believe in your saphire black exterior it will look even more stunning and classy. Go for it! It makes the 3 series look very " individual " ( It actualy comes from there as this color (Oyster) used to be available as Champaign in Individual configuration a few years back)....

[ss134]

Thanks to you both for taking the time to give your thoughts. Unfortunately
there couldnt of been 2 more opposing views!!! Its either going to look like
a pigeon has crapped all over my car or its going to look like an individual
interior LOL!!!!! Im slightly swaying towards smv as he actually has the colour but.................

[methodtim]

Oyster is not going to hold up. I have a new kid myself, which is the biggest reason I opted for black leather (well, that, and I'm boring).

Check out this very excellent post about why light-colored interiors will not hold up over time...

From: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199178

???

You can't have had your car for very long.

The problem is a combination of BMW's "value engineering" and crappy 'soft-touch' plastics technology.

In the good old days plastic parts such as these were cast solid in their final interior color so that when they were scratched or buffed it would still show as the same color.

In order to save money BMW uses generic plastic parts and then sprays on the appropriate interior soft-touch color as needed, thus they don’t need to stock 10,000 black parts, 10,000 beige parts, 10,000 gray parts, etc. They just order 20,000 parts total then spray them as needed.

Unfortunately the new 'soft-touch' paint they spray these plastic parts with is outrageously delicate.

In time you will notice the color peeling off of the door pulls, the black plastic steering wheel surround, the center console box, etc.

Only recourse is to [a] have the dealer replace the parts under warranty or if out of wrranty [b] pay for them yourself or [c] just "live" with BMW's poor design decisions though IMHO "putting up" with this deficiency on a $50K car is a bit outrageous.

I would be happy if BMW could simply equal the interior design/quality of, say Acura. There is no way BMW can catch up to, for example, Audi anytime soon but just equaling Acura would be a good start IMHO.

In case you detect a bit of 'piss-ofed-ness' in my post understand that so far I have had my driver’s door panel replaced twice, the center console twice, the steering wheel once, and the cup-holders once. This week I am taking my car in again to have the center console, the steering wheel surround, and the driver's cup-holder replaced yet again.

That I have had zero electrical or mechanical issues in over three years is of some consolation - but only 'some'.

Again; completely unacceptable in a $50K car.

[ss134]

Thanks Methodtim.

[Zirenz2006]

Good info Methodtim!

I don't think the part about the plastics applies here because Oyster is a two tone interior Oyster/Black. There are no plastic parts that are Oyster, they are all black. The only stuff that is Oyster is the leather.

Obviously with a kid/kids Oyster will still be a difficult color to keep up. I am going with Oyster on my next car but I don't have kids and I lease and dump so I won't have it long term.

I had saddle on my E92 and even that showed dirt but I just cleaned the seats once a month or so and it stayed fine for the 2 years I had it.

[HermesRider]

Originally Posted by Zirenz2006

I don't think the part about the plastics applies here because Oyster is a two tone interior Oyster/Black. There are no plastic parts that are Oyster, they are all black. The only stuff that is Oyster is the leather.

Now that sounds very cool!

Just checked it out on BMW.de website. It does look very nice! I see the two tone is essentially like how coral red does it... except where the leather would be red it is a very nice cream color! I'd want that in a coupe, but apparently only comes in the e90?

[chrisE92]

I would love to have oyster interior on my car. If only..

[nick776]

I have alpine white w/ oyster. I love the combo. It is not hard to keep clean at all and pictures do not convey the true color. It's more "beige" and a bit on the darker side than most pictures would have you believe. I just got the car two weeks ago (special ordered) and I love it.

[methodtim]

Originally Posted by Zirenz2006

Good info Methodtim!

I don't think the part about the plastics applies here because Oyster is a two tone interior Oyster/Black. There are no plastic parts that are Oyster, they are all black. The only stuff that is Oyster is the leather.

Obviously with a kid/kids Oyster will still be a difficult color to keep up. I am going with Oyster on my next car but I don't have kids and I lease and dump so I won't have it long term.

I had saddle on my E92 and even that showed dirt but I just cleaned the seats once a month or so and it stayed fine for the 2 years I had it.

Ah, good to know!

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by methodtim

Oyster is not going to hold up. I have a new kid myself, which is the biggest reason I opted for black leather (well, that, and I'm boring).

Check out this very excellent post about why light-colored interiors will not hold up over time...

From: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199178

???

You can't have had your car for very long.

The problem is a combination of BMW's "value engineering" and crappy 'soft-touch' plastics technology.

In the good old days plastic parts such as these were cast solid in their final interior color so that when they were scratched or buffed it would still show as the same color.

In order to save money BMW uses generic plastic parts and then sprays on the appropriate interior soft-touch color as needed, thus they don’t need to stock 10,000 black parts, 10,000 beige parts, 10,000 gray parts, etc. They just order 20,000 parts total then spray them as needed.

Unfortunately the new 'soft-touch' paint they spray these plastic parts with is outrageously delicate.

In time you will notice the color peeling off of the door pulls, the black plastic steering wheel surround, the center console box, etc.

Only recourse is to [a] have the dealer replace the parts under warranty or if out of wrranty [b] pay for them yourself or [c] just "live" with BMW's poor design decisions though IMHO "putting up" with this deficiency on a $50K car is a bit outrageous.

I would be happy if BMW could simply equal the interior design/quality of, say Acura. There is no way BMW can catch up to, for example, Audi anytime soon but just equaling Acura would be a good start IMHO.

In case you detect a bit of 'piss-ofed-ness' in my post understand that so far I have had my driver’s door panel replaced twice, the center console twice, the steering wheel once, and the cup-holders once. This week I am taking my car in again to have the center console, the steering wheel surround, and the driver's cup-holder replaced yet again.

That I have had zero electrical or mechanical issues in over three years is of some consolation - but only 'some'.

Again; completely unacceptable in a $50K car.

Excellent? How about an epic failure?

A couple of points regarding the repost and a word of advice:

1. First, the world is full of people who are either too stupid or too lazy to properly operate or maintain their car and then blame the manufacturer for supposed 'design' flaws. Guess what - treat your 250K, 100K, 50K car like a beater, and it'll look like a beater.

2. I'm a past owner of an Audi A6 and an Acura TSX. Yes, certain Audi interiors can be a bit more upscale, but then, they don't impart the same sense of sport as does a BMW. Acura once featured the type of ergonomics the Japanese are famous for, however with far inferior materials in comparison to the Germans. If you're seeking to replicate your beloved Accord, by all means go buy an Acura and leave BMW out of it. That said, recent Acura's have fallen so far in design, materials and performance it is irrelevant to mention them in the present context.

3. If Oyster is your thing, go for it. Teach your children the importance of treating material possessions with respect, and apply certain rules of behavior when they're in the car, as opposed to letting them do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it.

Your car, and the world, will be better for it.

[demosthenes]

I think light colored interiors contrasted with the black dash and wood trim looks great. But it's very hard to keep the light interiors clean.

My first BMW was an E30 with beige interior. I was a fanatic about taking care of it, but when I took it to the dealer for service, it came back with black marks in the wheel wells where the protective mats didn't cover. And the car mats were nearly impossible to keep clean.

Light colored car mats and seats usually look soiled over time. If you are willing to regularly clean your seats, replace your mats, don't allow anyone to eat in your car and be careful all the time, you interior can look great for many years. If not, a soiled interior looks bad and hurts resale value.

[wrickem]

If you do normal maintenance, you should be fine. I had a '84 633csi with light beige interior and it still looked fantastic even though it was 24 years old. My '07 e92 with creme beige still looks showroom new even after 25K miles with just normal cleaning. The black rugs with the oyster should also help. I love the oyster!

[demosthenes]

Originally Posted by wrickem

If you do normal maintenance, you should be fine. I had a '84 633csi with light beige interior and it still looked fantastic even though it was 24 years old. My '07 e92 with creme beige still looks showroom new even after 25K miles with just normal cleaning. The black rugs with the oyster should also help. I love the oyster!

+1

Using black mats is a great idea.

[Alpina_B3_Lux]

Originally Posted by smv

It makes the 3 series look very " individual " ( It actualy comes from there as this color (Oyster) used to be available as Champaign in Individual configuration a few years back)....

Sorry but that is not correct. The BMW Individual leather and the Oyster are NOT the same, neither the same colour nor the same quality. Oyster is the successor to the "lemon" colour that was available until the LCI, and the BMW Individual "Merino Champagne" is still available and is a different colour. As it is made out of Merino leather, the quality of the material is also quite different. I have the Merino Champagne in my current 335i and I can attest that it is very much different from Oyster or any other "normal" BMW leather outside of the BMW Individual program.

Notwithstanding the foregoign, I think it's a colour that looks really good with sapphire black. I've gone for a similar combination, azurite black with the Champagne and it looks really stunning.

Alpina_B3_Lux

[ss134]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post a reply.
My real issue is with the light colour of the leather-the rest of the interior inc
mats etc will be black.

Is it inevitable with a colour like that that even with regular cleaning, the combination of being a daily driver/ family vehicle will eventually take its toll and in say..in 4 years time it will look terrible?? That is my main concern, hence this post asking for expieriences from people who have had light interiors. Can you relax and enjoy the car or are you always fretting about the leather!!!

Anyone with a light interior who uses the car as a daily driver- your opinions would be appreciated.
Anyone who has never owned a light interior- comments welcome but based on something other than its light so its gonna get dirty!!!

[demosthenes]

I own 2 DD's - one has a light interior and the other is dark. Based on my experience and everyone's responses, your answer is...

If you take care of it, a light interior can look great for many years. But if you are going to worry about it and it becomes a PIA, it's not worth it. That's why I went with black on my E90.

[STE92VE]

I'll let you know in 30 days or so....

As one of the sages of this forum has stated in the past, all color interiors get dirty at the same rate. Some just show that dirt more than others.

Echoing previous posts, if you keep up proper maintenance of your car in general, you should have no problem with the Oyster.

[Payroll]

I would have ordered the oyster if it had been available at the time. I think it's the best looking color. Go for it.

[E90Brian]

Since nobody has provided pictures of an actual oyster interior in this post, allow me:





Now, that done, I have black cotton BMW seats covers (only the center portion of the seat back is covered) on mine because I fear jeans will transfer some color onto them. But, as they say, YMMV. And note that the only oyster-colored plastic is on the side of the front seats.

[MontegoGoGoGo]

Get the Oyster, after looking at that photo (thanks Brian), there's really not THAT much in there that's light colored. If it's in your gut do it! Put a blanket down in the back seat too. I have cream, and that's what I do with my dog.

Change it! Now! Go!!!